I’ve had a lesson on what II Corinthians 5:17 means. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. I’ve known the verse for years and often quoted it, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a graphic demonstration of that new creation as I saw last month in Konrad. Remember Konrad? He’s the young boy that terrorized the camp I went to last summer. When Konrad entered a room everyone went on alert. He amazed me the last morning at camp with his announcement that he had accepted Christ the night before as he thought about all he’d experienced that week.
Last month I had the absolute joy of seeing Konrad again. When I first saw him he was bundled up from head to toe, so I asked him his name. He responded with a big smile and said, “Konrad, you know me.” He’s 12 years old and is now living in an orphanage where he also attends school. His entire grade from this school came to the camp sponsored by a Polish Christian foundation (Chrześcijańska Fundacja Radość). I must admit that in spite of his profession of faith I didn’t know what to expect from Konrad after the week I’d spent with him this summer.
I still smile when I think of all the comments I heard from others who had worked with Konrad over the years, but hadn’t seen him in a year or so. “What happened to Konrad?” “Konrad has been so good this week.” This sort of statement was repeated several times, and each time I was excited to tell them what I had witnessed this summer. At one point someone said that Konrad must be on medication to which a colleague replied, “Konrad’s on Jesus.”
Seeing Konrad has probably been the best experience I’ve had since being in Poland. Being able to talk to him and see the new man he has become makes all the language study worthwhile. What an amazing testimony his young life is to the transforming power of the love of Jesus! Wow!
You can check out our week at camp at www.fundacja-radosc.pl under Winter Camp in Wisla. There’s also a slide show. Just click video.
